We Didn't Start The Fire
by Imaginate07
Summary: This takes place during the season finale, only a bit different. Luke figures out where Meg is and goes to find her. Meg/Luke romance and Meg/Sam friendship. Chapter 3 updated! Really, this time I promise!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own American Dreams, etc. etc. etc  
  
Summary: What if Luke had gone looking for Meg during the riots? Luke/Meg couple and Meg/Sam friendship - Story begins after the riots have started.  
  
Meg looked up at Sam. They were trapped.   
  
"What's going to happen now?" She asked, trying to hide her fear.  
  
"I don't know...I just...I don't know." Sam replied. "It is getting harder and harder for me to just sit here and do nothing though. I mean, look at it out there. It's getting worse every minute, and all we can do is sit and wait for somebody to either trash the store and find us here, or someone to come help us." Meg nodded her agreement. It was getting really bad out there, if the noises were anything to judge by. She and Sam were in the back of the store, as far away as possible from the windows. It was tempting to look outside ad see what was going on, but Meg knew that if any of the people out there saw a her, a defenseless white girl, she could be in a great deal of danger. She fought to hold back her tears as she watched the news on one of the televisions. It didn't seem real. That all of the violence she was seeing on the screen, all of the fire and destruction, was actually happening just outside the door. Sam touched her shoulder.  
  
"We'll get out of here eventually. Your uncle should get here soon." He said.  
  
"He has to get here soon." Meg told him. "We can't stay here much longer. It's only a matter of time before.." She was cut off by the sound of the glass in the door shattering. She shrieked and heard Sam curse beside her.  
  
"C'mon Meg. We have to get out of here." He grabbed her arm, and they ran from their hiding place to the back entrance to the store. Sam heard yells behind him. The looters had spotted them. He opened the door and pushed Meg through before following and closing the door behind them. They ran out into the darkness of the alleyway.   
  
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Luke hung up the phone at the Vinyl Crocodile. It had been Meg's mother on the phone. Meg was missing. She was out there somewhere, hopefully away from North Philly. Suddenly it occurred to him.  
  
"Damnit!" He said under his breath. He ran into the back office and told the owner that he had to leave immediately. Without waiting for a response he ran back into the store and into the street. He ignored the shouts from the owner telling him that it wasn't safe, that he needed to stay inside. Meg was out there. She wasn't safe. Her mother had told him that Meg had gone to talk to Sam, to give him something. Luke knew that Sam had been spending a lot of time at the new store, and he knew that Meg knew that too. Somebody had to go help them, go get them out of there.  
  
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Meg and Sam ran as fast as they could away from the store, staying in the shadows and hoping that nobody would notice them in all the commotion. Finally they stopped, and leaned against the brick wall of a building.  
  
"Sam, how are we going to get out of here? If I they see me...some of them might.."  
  
"Some of them would be angry enough to hurt you." Sam finished for her. "They would hurt you cause you're white." Meg nodded.  
  
"I'm scared Sam."  
  
"Me too Meg. But I won't let anything happen to you. You're my friend, one of my best friends. You've never treated my differently or badly because of my skin. Even when I treated you badly because of yours. I won't let them hurt you." Meg smiled at him, but they both jumped when they heard gunshots. They both ducked to the ground, and watched as people ran around, yelling, burning, beating. They watched as stores were ripped apart, burned to the ground. They watched as people hit each other with fists and pipes and bottles. They watched as the world came down around them.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Thanks for reading. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own American Dreams. You know the drill.  
  
A/N: Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed. It means so much to me to know that people are reading my stories and enjoying them.  
  
  
  
Luke cursed as he pulled up to the police barricade. There was no way he was going to get past those cops in his car. He backed up and made a U-turn. He drove a little ways away from the barricade and slipped out of his car. Luke walked up to one of the officers.  
  
"Excuse me sir?" Luke asked. The police officer looked at him.  
  
"What do you want kid?" the officer replied gruffly.  
  
"My girlfriend, her name is Meg Pryor, she is in the middle of all that, she's there somewhere. You have to let me past. I have to find her. She's in trouble."  
  
"Listen kid, you getting involved isn't going to help anybody. You're right, a teenage white girl, in the middle of all that, she's in trouble. But the same goes for teenage white boys. These people are going crazy kid. You get in the middle of it, you'll get yourself hurt, maybe killed. There is no way I'm going to let you bast this barricade." The officer stopped. "I'm sorry kid. Look, I'll let my men know that there's a girl, by the name of Pryor running around, tell them to keep their eyes peeled."   
  
Luke looked around in desperation. He had to get to Meg. After what the officer had said, about getting hurt or even killed...Meg was in even more trouble than he originally thought.  
  
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Meg crouched next to Sam. Despite the heat, she was shaking. She and Sam were in hell. North Philly was the very image of eternal damnation. There was fire everywhere, people screaming and fighting. She was beginning to think that she would never get out of there. Suddenly a shadow fell over her.  
  
"Well, look here. A white girl. What's your name?" The man demanded, reaching for Meg. Meg swallowed, she couldn't make words form in her mouth. The man grabbed her, his dark skin glistening with sweat. Sam leapt to his feet. "What is your name!?" the man demanded again.  
  
"Meg...." She whispered.  
  
"Meg what?"  
  
"Meg..Meg..Pryor."  
  
"Pryor?" the man asked angrily. Meg realized her mistake too late. The man had recognized her last name, and identified her with her father's store. "Pryor...you damn white folks! Invading the only place we have. We don't need your damn stores! We want you the hell out!" He was shaking her now. Tears were flowing freely down Meg's cheeks. She was so scared, she couldn't protest the rough treatment.  
  
"Let her go! She didn't do anything to you." Sam yelled. The man looked at him, anger clear on his face.  
  
"What is the matter with you boy? This is a white girl! They're all part of what is happening to us. And you're defending her? What is the matter with you?!" He threw Meg at the brick wall they had been hiding against, and lunged for Sam.  
  
"Sam!" Meg cried.  
  
"Meg, get out of here!" Sam yelled. When she hesitated, he yelled for her to go again. "Go Meg, run!" This time Meg turned and left Sam as he struggled with the man. Meg ran.  
  
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Luke jumped as he heard more gunshots sounding. The screams were getting louder now, and fire lit up the night sky. Then Luke saw his opportunity. Two of the officers were talking to each other, leaving part of the barricade unmanned. He quickly walked past them, then past the barricade. Then he started running. He heard an officer yelling after him, but Luke kept running.  
  
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Meg ran as fast as her legs could carry her, which wasn't very fast, as she was tiring quickly now. She couldn't run much longer, but she couldn't make herself stop either. Finally she had no choice but to stop and rest. She leaned her back against a wall of a building. It looked like it had already been looted fairly thoroughly, so she figured she would be safe there for a bit. She slid down the wall. She was so tired, and her ankle hurt. She must have twisted it while running. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, and she wiped them away angrily. How could she have just left Sam like that? How could she have abandoned her friend? He had defended her, and she just left him. What was the matter with her? Suddenly she felt a rough hand on her arm. The hand jerked her up and shoved her against the wall. Meg screamed for help, but she knew no help would be coming.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Thanks again for the reviews! I will try to update sooner this time, because exams are now over. Yay! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: American Dreams is not mine...llama  
  
A/N: Thanks again for the reviews, and for being patient with me. I just have not had as much time as I thought I would to do this.  
  
Sam leaned his head against the cool window of the police car. Officers had come and broken up the fight between him and the man who had attacked Meg. Fortunately one of them was Meg's Uncle Pete. Pete had recognized Sam and put him in a cop car, telling him that he would be safer there. He told Pete about Meg, and Pete ran off in search of his niece.  
  
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Luke had never been so worried in his life. Not only was Meg in trouble, but he had gotten himself into a dangerous situation as well. He was having serious doubts that he would ever find Meg. Either way, things were completely out of control. Everywhere he saw people hurting. They were all so angry...but if anybody hurt Meg, they would be subject to a whole new level of anger. Then he heard a terrified scream and he knew. He knew it was Meg. His heart pounding, Luke ran in the direction of the scream.  
  
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Meg struggled against the arms holding her. A nearby store went up in flames, illuminating the face of her attacker. His eyes were wild, his face furious. She tried to scream again, but a hand clapped over her mouth. She felt a hand wander under her shirt, then slip into the waistband of her pants. Meg could feel terrified tears streaming from her eyes. She fought back as hard as she could, but the man had to be at least three times as big as she. The she heard it. Someone was calling her name. Oh God. Her attacker was fumbling with her shirt, trying to remove her clothes. Meg bit the hand over her mouth fiercely, and the hand drew away as if it were on fire.   
  
"Help me!" She cried. "Somebody, please!" There it was again, someone calling her name. She knew that voice. The hands had given up on her shirt and were now tugging on her pants.   
  
"Luke! Please...Luke! Help me...please.." her voice faded from a yell to a whimper when her attacker shoved her against the wall with renewed force, knocking the wind out of her, and crashing her head into the wall. Stars exploded in front of her eyes, but Meg knew she had to stay conscious, she had to keep fighting. Then she saw him. Luke was running towards her.  
  
"Meg! Oh God, get off of her!" Her attacker turned, and seeing Luke paused briefly. Her attacker had obviously been looking for an easy target, and realised that the teenage boy rushing towards him would be more trouble than it was worth. He gave Meg another good shove against the bricks, then turned and ran into the darkness.  
  
Meg threw herself into Luke's arms and grasped handfuls of his shirt, clinging to him for dear life. He held her tightly, his arms locked around her. Meg buried her face in his chest and tried to catch her breath. Luke kissed Meg's hair, then combed one hand through the tangled curls and rubbed her back with the other.  
  
"Meg, are you all right?" He asked softly. When she didn't answer him, he pulled back a little and held her face in his hands, forcing her to look him in the eye.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked again. She nodded slightly, trying to find her voice.  
  
"I think...I think so." she whispered.  
  
"Are you sure?" Luke asked, wiping at her tears with his thumb. She nodded her head again, more sure of her answer, but then groaned. The motion had caused her head to ache fiercely.   
  
"C'mon." Luke said, scooping Meg easily into his arms. "We gotta get out of here." 


End file.
